It is known that prolonged periods of sitting can cause foot, leg and lower back strain. Known common pains are felt by women who are seated while breast or bottle feeding a baby. These pains arise with the need to position the baby's mouth and the mother's breast or bottle together, while the baby is cradled in one arm of the mother. As is well publicized, breast feeding may be the result of natural maternal instincts, but it is not generally comfortable to most women while seated. At least three types of pain often result when a mother is seated on a couch or lounge chair during breast or bottle feeding. More specifically, the mother in breast feeding, may be subject to lower back pain, neck, shoulder and upper back pain, and, lower leg pain. The lower back pain arises from leaning forward and downward towards the child. Neck and shoulder pain arise from lifting and holding the child. Lower leg pain may result from trying to lift the lower legs to raise the lap as a place to rest the arm and the child.
When bottle feeding a baby, similar pains may arise when a mother raises the child's head slightly higher than the rest of its body and raises the child to hold it in intimate close and comforting positions. In both breast feeding and bottle feeding, the child is often cradled in one of its mother's arms which is laid partially or wholly across the lap.
In attempting to provide the footstool for use by a nursing mother, existing adjustable foot supports such as that indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 3, 155,364 to Berg U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,767 to Hampshire are directed to easing the pain of those who sit still over a long period.
Heretofore, prior art foot supports and ottomans are directed to a use where the user is primarily still, with very little movement. Anyone who has ever attempted to feed a baby, knows that any footstool that would ease the pain which arises would have to be suitable for a user that is constantly shifting their position, often involuntarily.
The above cited prior art references do not disclose a stable footstool which would both alleviate any possible pain arising from sitting, while acting as an adequate support to a user who is constantly shifting positions.